Quote Originally Posted by SnoC653 View Post
As mentioned, the wheels and their speed have nothing to do with lift. If lift plus thrust is greater than drag plus weight the plan will accelerate until they are equal or climb. And long before the drag of the wheels could overcome the thrust the plane will develops lift which will reduce that drag to nothing. Even a fully loaded 747 can climb at over 500 feet per minute. As soon as the wings start flying the treadmill becomes a none factor.
The lift only factors in if the plane is able to move. If the ability of the wheels to move the plane forward is negated through the treadmill, no air moves over the wing, no lift is created, no movement of any kind happens. Lift is caused by airflow over the wings. If there is no airflow, no one is going anywhere.